Samsung to offer $599 “Developer Edition” Galaxy S III for Verizon

The phone comes with an unlockable bootloader, but no support from VZW.

If you're a developer who is playing with the brand-new Jelly Bean source code from yesterday, this may be of interest to you: Android Central is reporting that Samsung will be offering an unlockable Verizon-compatible "Developer Edition" of its Galaxy S III smartphone on its website for $599. Verizon is the only carrier in the US whose subsidized version of the S III, currently available for pre-order at $199, will come with a locked-down bootloader, preventing the installation of custom Android ROMs like Cyanogenmod.

Verizon tends to shy away from unlocked bootloaders, ostensibly for stability and security reasons: in a statement to The Verge, the company said that "an open boot loader could prevent Verizon Wireless from providing the same level of customer experience and support" as for a locked-down phone, and that it could "negatively impact how the phone connects with the network." As such, while you'll be able to use the Developer Edition Galaxy S III on the Verizon network, Verizon will offer no support for users with problems, and phones with unlocked bootloaders and custom software won't be covered by the handset's warranty.

Some developers and power users may go this route since it's the only way to get a phone with an unlockable bootloader that also supports the US's largest cellular network, but all in all it seems like a bit of a raw deal, and Verizon's arguments against unlocked bootloaders in particular are pretty nebulous at best. The phone's fast internals will doubtlessly make this offer appealing for some, but the price will be a turn-off for many.

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Andrew Cunningham
Andrew has a B.A. in Classics from Kenyon College and has over five years of experience in IT. His work has appeared on Charge Shot!!! and AnandTech, and he records a weekly book podcast called Overdue. Twitter@AndrewWrites